Eritrean, Djiboutian troops exchange fire at border
Media: AFP
Byline: N/A
Date: 10 June 2008
DJIBOUTI, June 10, 2008 (AFP) - Djiboutian and Eritrean troops exchanged
fire Tuesday for the first time since a tense standoff started at their
border two months ago, a military source and a government official told
AFP.
The clashes took place in the Ras Doumeira area at Djibouti's northern
border, where Eritrean troops carried out an incursion on April 16 that
sparked a military standoff between the two neighbours.
"Everything started when Eritrean soldiers opened fire today on around
20 Eritrean deserters who wanted to cross the border," a Djiboutian
military official on the ground told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"Naturally, the Djiboutian military retaliated and this is how the
hostilities started," he added.
Everyone on board Camp is safe and we are at a heightened state you could say. The French are out in arms providing the support they promise to the Djiboutian people by being here. 3 Djiboutians died another 30 were injured and about 80 Eritreans died from what I heard.
The Djiboutian/Eritrean border is much like the Gaza Strip, both countries claim a certain section of land as part of their country and thus they have conflict with one another every few years in an on again off again rotation.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
FGM/FCM
Something I learned about the Djiboutian culture last night. This comes to you straight from the State Departments website:
Released by the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues
Released by the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues
Practice: Incidence: Attitudes and Beliefs: Although the practice has long been entrenched in the culture and society of Djibouti, young women in the early 1980s initiated discussions and called for its abolition. Some progress and changes in attitudes have slowly been made. The official policy in Djibouti is to discourage Type III as a first step towards change. Type II: Type III: Type II and Type III are generally performed without the use of anesthesia. Outreach Activities: UNFD used to run a dispensary at its headquarters where girls were brought in for a less radical form of the procedure (Type II). This was performed by a traditional excisor, but the girl was given a local anesthetic before the operation. It was believed that a less radical form could be encouraged through control in the dispensary. While protecting girls from Type III in many cases, this did not prove to be totally successful in stopping it in all cases brought to the dispensary. In some cases, grandmothers took the girls home complaining that the procedure was incomplete. They then had the girls infibulated. UNFD has now closed its dispensary. The government has incorporated awareness about FGM/FGC into its national program to promote safe motherhood. It has a focal person at the Ministry of Health who deals specifically with women's health issues. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations are free to disseminate information and provide training and education about the harmful effects of the practice. The Ministry of Health allows use of clinics and health training centers for distribution of information about FGM/FGC and other harmful health practices. The Ministry of Information encourages media coverage of information relating to conferences on this topic. Neighborhood leaders are appointed to promote public awareness campaigns. They are perceived as playing an important role in the dissemination of information. The Association for the Equilibrium and Promotion of the Family (ADEPF), a local NGO, runs programs to inform the population about the harmful effects of this practice. The international NGOs, the Red Sea Team International and Caritas also work to end the practice in the country. Caritas is very active, printing posters and educational material and working with the Ministry of Health, local NGOs, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and other organizations. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is active in Djibouti in anti-FGM/FGC campaigns, working closely with the Ministry of Health, NGOs and health workers. UNICEF is also involved in these efforts. Both UNFD and ADEPF raise public awareness by instructing school children and womens groups on the harmful health effects of this practice. They organize national seminars, workshops and training for traditional birth attendants (TBAs), information sessions for target groups such as religious leaders, mothers, fathers and policy-makers and conduct publicity campaigns. They also participated in the production of a film about the issue in Djibouti. In 1997, the National Committee of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) in Djibouti produced a film on FGM/FGC and other harmful traditional practices, which was shown on national television. After the showing a roundtable was held with members of IAC/Djibouti, doctors, religious leaders, traditional healers and TBAs. They all agreed that the practice had harmful health consequences and was not justified under science, religion or culture. There have been a number of declarations made about this practice, including that of the State Prosecutor who said, "...I wish to remind that the Republic of Djibouti has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, thus committing itself to put an end to all harmful treatments directed to children. The suffering endured by innocent children is intolerable and reprehensible. Such criminal acts are provided for and punishable by article 324 and following of the Penal Code. From now on, instructions will be given to all police forces in order for those who carry out such harmful practices to be prosecuted and punished by law." UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) are the major international organizations involved in campaigns in Djibouti. A WHO representative also trains village birth attendants about the dangers of this practice. There is an increased awareness, especially in the rural areas, of the harmful effects of this practice. Medical personnel throughout the country are aware of the law criminalizing this practice. Posters against the practice are found throughout the country. Anecdotally there has been a move toward using the less radical form, Type II, instead of Type III, especially in Djibouti City. This has been attributed, in part, to increased public awareness through campaigns and openness among the population in discussing the subject. The newspaper "La Nation" has carried a few articles, interviews and short messages to make the public aware of the harmful health effects of the practice. Radio and television advertisements have also been used to raise awareness of the effects of the practice. A major obstacle to disseminating information about this subject is the illiteracy rate. An ADEPF report states that 72 percent of Djiboutian women are illiterate. In response, UNFPA, UNFD, Caritas, Red Sea Team International and other groups use street theater, story telling and other means of communication more in line with the oral traditions of Djiboutian society to get their message across. The U.S. government, through the U.S. Embassys Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF), has provided funding for education programs by local NGOs to end this practice. It has provided funds to ADEPF and to the Red Crescent Society. In 1996, ADEPF received US$24,871 to conduct an FGM/FGC survey, to provide education to school children and womens groups on the health effects of the practice and to organize a television debate on the subject. In 2000, the Red Sea Team International received US$18,010 to provide health education and human rights awareness (including violence against women and FGM/FGC) for women and children throughout Djibouti. Legal Status: Enforcement to date is quite another matter. The UNFD is aware of only one case in which a young woman had to be hospitalized after undergoing the operation where the "midwife" who performed the operation was given "counsel." She was advised not to continue her practice. Apparently, no formal charges were brought. Protection: A woman faces no legal or economic repercussions in Djibouti if she has not undergone FGM/FGC. There is often social pressure, however, from relatives to at least undergo Type II. Local traditions and social pressure are the main impediments to the abolition of this practice. Prepared by the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues, Office of the Under Secretary for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State, June, 2001
The two forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) or female genital cutting (FGC) widely practiced throughout Djibouti are Type II (commonly referred to as excision) and Type III (commonly referred to as infibulation). Type III is the most common form and is practiced among the Issa and Afar. Type II is practiced on girls of Yemeni origin.
Various estimates are that between 90 and 98 percent of young girls in Djibouti have undergone Type II or Type III. The practice is firmly entrenched among the Issa and Afar who make up the overwhelming majority of the population of Djibouti. It is practiced on 41 percent of girls under the age of five and on 95 percent of girls under the age of ten.
The practice of FGM/FGC is deeply rooted in custom that is often defended on religious (Islamic) grounds, despite the fact there is no mention of the practice in the Quran.
Type II is the excision (removal) of the clitoris together with all or part of the labia minora (the inner vaginal lips).
Type III is the excision (removal) of part or all of the external genitalia (clitoris, labia minora and labia majora) and stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening leaving a very small opening, about the diameter of a matchstick, to allow for the flow of urine and menstrual blood. The girl or womans legs are generally bound together from the hip to the ankle so she remains immobile for approximately 40 days to allow for the formation of scar tissue.
In 1987, a National Committee with members from the Ministries of Health, Justice and Education, as well as from the Red Crescent Society and "Union Nationale des Femmes de Djibouti" (UNFD), was set up. The Committee works under the umbrella of UNFD. UNFD advocates complete abolition of this practice.
This practice was outlawed in the countrys revised Penal Code that went into effect in April 1995. Article 333 of the Penal Code provides that persons found guilty of FGM/FGC will face a five year prison term and a fine of one million Djibouti francs (US$5,600).
We are unaware of any groups or organizations that provide protection to someone who wants to avoid this practice.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Marine I mentioned in my previous blog
This was in the Stars & Stripes Middle East Edition today 7 June 2008.
LAKE STEVENS, Wash. (AP) -- On the afternoon of March 23, two superiors took a 21-year-old Marine, Lance Cpl. Dustin Canham, into a tent at Camp Lemonier, a U.S. base in the rocky desert of the Horn of Africa.
Exactly what happened inside remains unclear, except this: Canham died.
In letters, the Marines told Canham's family he collapsed while exercising. His father and his 19-year-old widow believe that's half the story. They were told by Canham's fellow Marines that he was being punished for accidentally chipping another Marine's tooth. They suspect he might have dropped dead from being forced to work out too hard.
A military autopsy determined the manner of death to be "natural" and said Canham had a mildly enlarged heart. But the medical examiners were not told the circumstances of Canham's death and thus did not consider heat exhaustion as a possible cause, The Associated Press has learned.
After the AP raised questions last week, Armed Forces Medical Examiner Craig T. Mallak and the deputy medical examiner who performed the autopsy, Cmdr. Timothy D. Monaghan, told the family they would take another look at Canham's case.
"They try to make it sound routine, but there's nothing routine about taking one Marine aside," said Canham's widow, Devyn. "Why wouldn't they be doing their daily exercises together?"
The AP has also learned that one of the two superiors who brought Canham into the tent, Sgt. Jesus Diaz, was reassigned out of the platoon following the death.
A spokeswoman at Marine Corps headquarters declined to comment, citing the continuing investigation, as did representatives of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is conducting its own inquiry. The AP was unable to locate contact information for Diaz or the other superior, Cpl. Richard Abril.
Canham, 21, of Lake Stevens, had arrived at Camp Lemonier, in the African nation of Djibouti, about a week earlier. The U.S. maintains the 500-acre base for its Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, which blends traditional security and training roles with humanitarian efforts to combat terrorism.
Canham was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, out of Portland, Ore. In Djibouti, he was serving with the 8th Provisional Security Company, installing and repairing fuel equipment.
None of his platoon mates would comment when contacted by the AP. But some did speak with Devyn, telling her that earlier in the day, Dustin was unloading a truck with other Marines when they began joking around and throwing rocks at each other. Dustin chipped another Marine's tooth, she said.
Shortly before 4 p.m., Diaz and Abril brought Canham into a tent. Dustin soon collapsed; other Marines saw Diaz run out of the tent to get help, Devyn said. Resuscitation efforts failed. He was pronounced dead at the camp's medical clinic at 5:12 p.m.
One letter to the family, written by Lt. Col. J.R. Hill of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, said, "Dustin was in his air-conditioned quarters while exercising when he unexpectedly collapsed," and added that "the Marines who found him" immediately called for help.
Another, written by Lt. Col. Thomas E. Foos, commanding officer of 8th Provisional Security Company, and Capt. Craig E. Harris, commander of Alpha Company at Lemonier, said, "Dustin was exercising with his fire team leader in his tent doing what we call the Daily Seven" - an exercise routine that includes push-ups and core-body work - and that he collapsed after just two or three minutes.
None of the letters explained why Canham was in the tent with two superiors. Devyn Canham said three Marines told her it was not Dustin's own tent, but another that might not have been air-conditioned. The high temperature that afternoon neared the mid-90s.
Dustin's father, Mark Canham, said an investigator confirmed to him that Dustin was doing physical training in lieu of receiving a black mark on his record, typically referred to as a "page 11," when he died. Devyn said no military officials have told her that.
The nine-page autopsy report makes no mention of Canham exercising; it says merely that he collapsed while in his quarters. Canham's heart weighed 450 grams, at the top of the normal range.
The medical examiner listed the cause of death as a thickening of the left ventricular wall, a condition sometimes found in endurance athletes. Canham was in excellent shape, his family said.
"His enlarged heart and hypertrophic left ventricular wall left him vulnerable to disruption of life-sustaining cardiac rhythms," Monaghan concluded.
Heat exhaustion can cause such a disruption.
Although Mark Canham signed a privacy waiver authorizing the military to discuss the autopsy with the AP, the military would not allow an interview with the pathologists. The AP instead gave its questions to Mark Canham, who asked them of Monaghan last week.
According to Mark Canham, Monaghan said that he was unaware Dustin had been exercising or that he was being punished when he died, and that he had no reason to suspect heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Mallak confirmed that, Devyn and her lawyer said.
Mark Canham has spent the past two months trying to contact his son's friends in the Marines, investigators and members of Congress to pry loose any information he can.
"I just want to know what happened," he said. "I wish I could let the whole thing go. But that would be a grave injustice to my son."
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Some humor for a change
A man who dressed up as Darth Vader, wearing a black garbage bag for a cape, and assaulted the founders of Britain's first Jedi church was given a suspended sentence Tuesday. A person dressed as Darth Vader pictured at a launch of a Star Wars video game. Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, attacked Jedi church founder Barney Jones -- a.k.a. Master Jonba Hehol -- with a metal crutch, hitting him on the head, prosecutors told Holyhead Magistrates' Court.
He also whacked Jones' 18-year-old cousin, Michael Jones -- or Master Mormi Hehol -- bruising his thigh, in the March 25 incident. Unfortunately for Hughes, the incident was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle.
"Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached.
Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having drunk the best part of a 10-liter (two-and-half-gallon) box of wine beforehand.
"He knows his behavior was wrong and didn't want it to happen but he has no recollection of it," said Hughes' lawyer, Frances Jones. District Judge Andrew Shaw sentenced Hughes to two months in jail but suspended the sentence for one year. He also ordered Hughes to pay £100 ($195) to each of his victims and £60 ($117) in court costs. Barney Jones, his brother Daniel and cousin Michael set up the Church of Jediism, Anglesey order, last year. It claims about 30 members.
Jedi is the faith followed by some of the central characters in the "Star Wars" films. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 people -- 0.7 percent of the population -- listed Jedi as their religion.
He also whacked Jones' 18-year-old cousin, Michael Jones -- or Master Mormi Hehol -- bruising his thigh, in the March 25 incident. Unfortunately for Hughes, the incident was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle.
"Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached.
Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having drunk the best part of a 10-liter (two-and-half-gallon) box of wine beforehand.
"He knows his behavior was wrong and didn't want it to happen but he has no recollection of it," said Hughes' lawyer, Frances Jones. District Judge Andrew Shaw sentenced Hughes to two months in jail but suspended the sentence for one year. He also ordered Hughes to pay £100 ($195) to each of his victims and £60 ($117) in court costs. Barney Jones, his brother Daniel and cousin Michael set up the Church of Jediism, Anglesey order, last year. It claims about 30 members.
Jedi is the faith followed by some of the central characters in the "Star Wars" films. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 people -- 0.7 percent of the population -- listed Jedi as their religion.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Death and deployment
White( a person whom I work worth) and I were talking. Both of us have a few deployments under our belt and never has anyone been seriously injured or died on those deployments.
However, this one has been quite the opposite. I have been here for less than 3 months and we have had 2 people die. Not from combat injuries because we are not engaged in combat here. But from natural causes. The first of which was a 21 year old Marine who's name I do not know died in the gym while working out from unknown causes.
The most recent of which passed away yesterday. At least we became aware of it yesterday. He was believed to have passed away some time before he was found. His service although not here was a memorable one. An honor guard of Airmen escorted the casket to the vehicle which would transport it from the hospital to airport. While the streets were lined with service members from the French Navy , Yemen Army, Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen who offered their respects and final salute.
I did not know the man well but I did know him. I had the good fortune of sharing conversations and laughs with the man. His passing has been tragic with me although I do not know if it was because I knew him or what he represented. I cannot help but to look at the table we sat at with a new profound sense of respect and yearning.
War is a cruel monster in which we as a people have become desensitized too and I have come to fear the idea of 'what if the last thing you said to your loved ones was the actual last thing.' This is a tragic place and situation in which no one should have to die not having seen their loved one's in such a long time and yet so far away from them.
But just in case I love you Kim and I love you Mom. Thanks for being the greatest influences in my life.
Farewell and Following Seas Lieutenant Colonel Joseph A. Moore, Chaplain Corps, United States Air Force
However, this one has been quite the opposite. I have been here for less than 3 months and we have had 2 people die. Not from combat injuries because we are not engaged in combat here. But from natural causes. The first of which was a 21 year old Marine who's name I do not know died in the gym while working out from unknown causes.
The most recent of which passed away yesterday. At least we became aware of it yesterday. He was believed to have passed away some time before he was found. His service although not here was a memorable one. An honor guard of Airmen escorted the casket to the vehicle which would transport it from the hospital to airport. While the streets were lined with service members from the French Navy , Yemen Army, Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen who offered their respects and final salute.
I did not know the man well but I did know him. I had the good fortune of sharing conversations and laughs with the man. His passing has been tragic with me although I do not know if it was because I knew him or what he represented. I cannot help but to look at the table we sat at with a new profound sense of respect and yearning.
War is a cruel monster in which we as a people have become desensitized too and I have come to fear the idea of 'what if the last thing you said to your loved ones was the actual last thing.' This is a tragic place and situation in which no one should have to die not having seen their loved one's in such a long time and yet so far away from them.
But just in case I love you Kim and I love you Mom. Thanks for being the greatest influences in my life.
Farewell and Following Seas Lieutenant Colonel Joseph A. Moore, Chaplain Corps, United States Air Force
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tactical Aircraft
Some information for thought.
The last Air Force pilot ever involved in a real dog fight is coming up on his 2nd star. The same goes for the last Naval Aviator.
Back in Vietnam, Marines lost 1 tactical aircraft for every 6,000 missions. In Operation Iraqi Freedom our loss rate is 1 tactical aircrafter per every 1,500 sorties.
It's considered safer to fly fighter plane rather than helicopters.
The last Air Force pilot ever involved in a real dog fight is coming up on his 2nd star. The same goes for the last Naval Aviator.
Back in Vietnam, Marines lost 1 tactical aircraft for every 6,000 missions. In Operation Iraqi Freedom our loss rate is 1 tactical aircrafter per every 1,500 sorties.
It's considered safer to fly fighter plane rather than helicopters.
American Culture in Djibouti
Overall the general experience an American gets of Africa is reading National Geographic. However the Djiboutians here are Americanized to a degree. They receive BBC radio, Armed Forces Network radio and CNN so they know a lot of what goes on in American, England and France. American music is popular here.
What has me curious is how Djiboutian's handle the sudden public surge of homosexuality. Here on base one of the local Djiboutian's is gay and I mean to the eccentric point. The point where he wears his hat sideways, Dolce and Gabana sunglasses, Chuck Taylor's with fur interior linings. The word flaming has been used by people here from time to time. Especially after his serenade of "Scrubs" by TLC during the last karoake session. I have to wonder how Djiboutians relate to a person such as this. Especially the majority being Muslim and a small Catholic/Episcopalian population.
What has me curious is how Djiboutian's handle the sudden public surge of homosexuality. Here on base one of the local Djiboutian's is gay and I mean to the eccentric point. The point where he wears his hat sideways, Dolce and Gabana sunglasses, Chuck Taylor's with fur interior linings. The word flaming has been used by people here from time to time. Especially after his serenade of "Scrubs" by TLC during the last karoake session. I have to wonder how Djiboutians relate to a person such as this. Especially the majority being Muslim and a small Catholic/Episcopalian population.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Jeanne D'Arc
So yesterday for the first time in my life I set foot upon a surface ship that went to sea and was not a museum relic. It was an interesting experience. Not only that but it was a French warship. The Jeanne D'Arc(Joan of Arc) a helicpoter carrier that houses 8-10 helicopters and is a member of the French Training Squadron.
This ship's sole purpose is to take Officer's-in-training(Midshipman) a chance to go out to sea participate in real Navy exercises and get a feel for what it is like to be a Sailor. This ship is on a 6 month tour that started in December. Some of the comm and's most recent success involved the Jeanne D'Arc's successful attempt at thwarting some local Somali pirates.
What amazes me the most is the lack of security in the deployment schedules. Being a Trident Submariner we are not allowed to tell anyone outside of parents/spouses our deployment schedule and dates. But behold it all here I am sitting with a pamphlet that has the entire deployment schedule of the Jeanne D'Arc and what port it will be at and when it will be there.
It blows my mind!
But back to traditional submarine mentality. Another pamphlet has information on the Submarines in the French Fleet. Naturally I compared the French SSBN to American SSBN's. Here is the French stats:
Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) Le Triomphant class
Length: 138m
Beam: 12.5m
14,200 tons submerged
1 nuclear reactor, steam turbines, 1 electric motor 30.5 mw
speed of 25 knots with 2 crews of 110
16 M-45 strategic missiles
4 x 533mm weapon tubes for F17 torpedoes or EXOCET SM-39 sub launched anti-ship missiles
1 multifunction sonar
1 very low frequency towed array sonar
1 acoustic telemeter
SYRACUSE communications system
SET combat system
Now all I need to know is what they are having for lunch tomorrow.
P.S.
This is pretty comical
YN2 Hurt with his new French cover he acquired.
Pessismism and the ballod of life
I often joke with my wife that I am going to be a Polygamist and have multiple wives. All this originated with Ron Paul (the Mormon) running for President. The latest face to this joke is that my next wife will be a Djiboutian. Last night while at the EDG that I attend regularly now on Mondays. One of the boys told me that the women love me and I did notice some peculiar looks from some of the women that attend the school.
Things are back to normal in the aspect of my job. My momentary lapse of unhappiness with my rate has passed and sunk in. So much that I decided to bounce out of class after my quiz in order to participate in more positive things such as writing this and shortly afterwards reading.
My unhappiness with my rate comes from the fact that I find the work bland. It is the same thing day in and day out. No variety and more importantly I get no satisfaction out of it. What is the product of my work? A signed piece of paper that will be forgotten about for the most part.
Even the customer service facet of it reeks of horribleness. My CLU mate Pelfrey (who is a PS) and I figured out earlier in this IA what is one of the significant reasons people hate being in Admin. Our interaction is rarely on a positive note. When people come to talk to us it is because they have a problem. Something that needs to be fixed and most likely has already soured the mood for the day. Very few people come by just to talk and when they act like that is the reason they come by you later find out that they want something and are trying to be subtle about it.
I know the saying all to well “pick your rate pick your fate”. I think if I could I would have quit by this point in time, and I have another 2 ½ years until I can reconsider doing something else inside or outside the military. I just thank my luck stars that I have an understanding and compassionate wife who is willing to listen to my gripes.
Even this IA has been a sad disappointment. I agreed to it in an effort to advance my career prospects. However that hardly seems the case here at Camp Lemonier. I would be lucky to walk away with a lowly Flag Letter of Commendation. This place is hardly exciting, and leaves you with little free time to enjoy yourself or your surroundings. I do even less here than I would back at the boat. No matter how bitter I seem toward the boat environment I miss it immensely as of late.
Things are back to normal in the aspect of my job. My momentary lapse of unhappiness with my rate has passed and sunk in. So much that I decided to bounce out of class after my quiz in order to participate in more positive things such as writing this and shortly afterwards reading.
My unhappiness with my rate comes from the fact that I find the work bland. It is the same thing day in and day out. No variety and more importantly I get no satisfaction out of it. What is the product of my work? A signed piece of paper that will be forgotten about for the most part.
Even the customer service facet of it reeks of horribleness. My CLU mate Pelfrey (who is a PS) and I figured out earlier in this IA what is one of the significant reasons people hate being in Admin. Our interaction is rarely on a positive note. When people come to talk to us it is because they have a problem. Something that needs to be fixed and most likely has already soured the mood for the day. Very few people come by just to talk and when they act like that is the reason they come by you later find out that they want something and are trying to be subtle about it.
I know the saying all to well “pick your rate pick your fate”. I think if I could I would have quit by this point in time, and I have another 2 ½ years until I can reconsider doing something else inside or outside the military. I just thank my luck stars that I have an understanding and compassionate wife who is willing to listen to my gripes.
Even this IA has been a sad disappointment. I agreed to it in an effort to advance my career prospects. However that hardly seems the case here at Camp Lemonier. I would be lucky to walk away with a lowly Flag Letter of Commendation. This place is hardly exciting, and leaves you with little free time to enjoy yourself or your surroundings. I do even less here than I would back at the boat. No matter how bitter I seem toward the boat environment I miss it immensely as of late.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
First of all, last night while waiting for our van to depart for our English Discussion Group this Air Force Technical Sergeant walked right by me and the first thing I noticed was that my 'Dolphin Sense' was tingling and sure enough. This Chair Force guy had Dolphins on his chest. It's been blowing my mind since then that 1. You care wear Navy warfare qualifications in the Air Force and 2. That you left it for an obvious reason and would have enough pride to continue wearing it.
But now onto something more humorous. Check out the Djiboutian President and tell me what you see that stands out in this picture!
Do you give up? I thought so not many have been able to notice what stands out. Look at his feet and note that he is 'walking on water.'
Snaps to him!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Djiboutian People
This last week was quite the memorable one. Through the local Embassy we participate in a English Discussion Group that allows us to the chance to visit the local schools where we sit, speak and converse with the Djiboutian High School population.
Perhaps it could be narrow mind-ness on my behalf but never before have I witnessed a group so ambitious. An ambition that makes me jealous that my ‘great’ country lacks it. These are people who not only wanted to be Doctors, Lawyers, Educators and all those great careers. But they wanted to make Djibouti better. They wanted to be a catalyst for change! That is something I’ve never heard. Sure American’s say I want to do this and that. But few will openly say that they want to do it to make the country a better place.
It’s caused me to wonder, why we don’t do more to make suffering countries like this prosper. Sure we send our military forces in to partake in humanitarian work, to rebuild the country and the such. But we are doing it wrong. Sure it is great we are doing this. But how much are we doing to provide the local’s with the skills to do it themselves. We have Corpman and Doctors here who could teach the locals. Seabee’s who could teach them how to build and operate equipment. Electricians who could teach them how to do electrical wiring.
When I look at what we do and compare it to what we could do it all seems inadequate. Like we are saying that we care but acting like we only care to a degree. But the ambition and drive that these children demonstrate is par none. I only wish that I could sit there and record it for the rest of the world.
Perhaps it could be narrow mind-ness on my behalf but never before have I witnessed a group so ambitious. An ambition that makes me jealous that my ‘great’ country lacks it. These are people who not only wanted to be Doctors, Lawyers, Educators and all those great careers. But they wanted to make Djibouti better. They wanted to be a catalyst for change! That is something I’ve never heard. Sure American’s say I want to do this and that. But few will openly say that they want to do it to make the country a better place.
It’s caused me to wonder, why we don’t do more to make suffering countries like this prosper. Sure we send our military forces in to partake in humanitarian work, to rebuild the country and the such. But we are doing it wrong. Sure it is great we are doing this. But how much are we doing to provide the local’s with the skills to do it themselves. We have Corpman and Doctors here who could teach the locals. Seabee’s who could teach them how to build and operate equipment. Electricians who could teach them how to do electrical wiring.
When I look at what we do and compare it to what we could do it all seems inadequate. Like we are saying that we care but acting like we only care to a degree. But the ambition and drive that these children demonstrate is par none. I only wish that I could sit there and record it for the rest of the world.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Food for thought
Okay some things to consider when going on an IA to Djibouti, Kuwait, Iraq or Afghanistan. First of all no pornography at least if you bring some be clever in hiding it. Not only are you military and not supposed to possess it but it’s illegal in a lot of these countries and can get you placed in jail.
A lot of the power outlets here run off 220 so a variety of American electronics cant handle that much power, so I recommend you either buy or mail yourself a transformer that can convert it to 110. The plug in’s are also different from American one’s so purchase adapters that can plug into the sockets here so you can plug in those products that can handle 220(I.e. your laptop for example). Without these plugs you won’t be able to run any electronics. They can be purchased in Djibouti as far as I know, I did not see any in Kuwait and I can’t speak in regards to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sunscreen, yeah I know logic would dictate that it’s a no brainer but you would be surprised how many do not think of it. Wait till you get to theater until you buy an iron. No you don’t have to iron your uniform but some prissy Sailors still like to iron the uniforms they wear despite the fact they are in 1. A dessert and 2. A combat zone.
Do not buy or bring a Camelbak you will be given one during your training. If you are going to Djibouti we have wireless internet in our CLU(pronounced CLUE’s) however if you are in Echo or Foxtrot you won’t get a signal on the wireless unless you have an antenna which will amplify the connection. You can purchase them out in town and I will post the name once I get it. However you can also find them online at: http://www.ccrane.com
For those who are going to Djibouti you can also earn your Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal while you are here by doing community work out in the nearby villages and neighboring countries. From what I gathered you need from 70-120 hours to qualify for it.
I’ve also heard you can earn a Humanitarian medal but I will check into it so as it stands that is just gossip. There is a P-3 squadron here so it might be possible to earn your Aviation Warfare qual while here. Also there are colleges on base that will teach you in classes or via online.
If you are on the HOA side(note there is the HOA side and Camp Lemonier side) you qualify for Joint Service medals and will most likely get one. If you are Camp Lemoiner you will get NAM’s or NCM’s if you are lucky. People have been known to walk out of here with a CO LOC for the end of tour. Remember you do get a NEC from your training with the Army that singles you out as an IA.
Phone cards are a good thing to have. I recommend checking out: http://oif.spawareurope.net/index.htm
They have insanely cheap phone cards for military members especially if you are deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan you will look at about 9 cents a minute at most. Costs may vary depending on which parts you are located at. AT&T also has reasonable phone cards but they are not the best.
Do keep in mind though if you have a DSN number you can use it to call long distance for free. All that you have to do is find your local DSN operator (like a major local base in your area code). For example I am stationed in Bangor, WA so I would call Bremerton, WA and from there they can forward my call to a number in that area code. You can find a directory online of different DSN dispatchs to call. Once I am able to find it, I will post the number for one in Illinois that will forward you to any area code however the thing with this number is your phone calls are limited to 30 minutes.
If you live on the West Coast like myself you are looking at a 11 hour time difference. I.e. it is 2205 in Djibouti it is 1105 in Washington. Same time zone while in Kuwait.
If you are going to Djibouti bring your check book! There are no ATM’s on base and you have to go to Disbursing to get money in Djiboutian Francts. In order for this to happen you need to give them a check. You are limited to $200/day and $500/week. The NEX does accept ATM cards. Speaking in regards to the NEX it sucks. They run out of supplies quickly and are not quick to get them. So it might behoove you to have some harder to get things forwarded to you. Cleaning supplies go rather quickly here such as swiffer’s, brooms and mops.
On another note the air stinks here. Locals dispose of the garbage by burning it, so the rank odor fills the air. Some people place ionizers(check out Sharper Image) on the AC units to get rid of the odor. You will notice it and it will drive you nuts. Also bring stuff to deal with mold you get a lot of moisture in your CLU from the air conditioners so it molds easily. They have mini fans in the back of the unit’s however it can only do so much. Some people also leave the AC off for a day and let the fan dry it out with the help of the outside heat.
You cannot carry backpacks around in Kuwait and Djibouti. So try to avoid brining one other than your laptop bag. There was a situation not too long ago when someone snuck an IED onto the base in Kuwait and because of that the rule now stands. As far as I am aware it applies to Camelbak’s as well.
The food in Kuwait is awesome! It is the best food I have ever had in the military. Djibouti not so much. Here the water is bad as is most places in the Middle East. Bottled water is placed everywhere for your drinking pleasure and at all costs do not drink the local water. It will not kill you but it will turn your stomach into liquid and you will spend a lot of time on the toilet(trust me I found out the hard way). Brush your teeth with bottled water. Get use to battle showers as they call them or Submarine showers as I know them as. This consists of 30 seconds or so to get wet. 2 ½ minutes to soap up and rinse off. Some places they give you 5(such as Kuwait) in Djibouti it’s 3. They say that by taking 3 minute showers you can save 700 gallons of water a month.
Bring heavy duty sandals such as Croc’s, they will be a godsend for you. Do not open your CBR bag when you get it. One it will save you a pain going through customs and you won’t have to pay the government money for opening it. When it comes to keeping things if it touches your skin it’s yours to keep is the standard philosophy. The exceptions to this are canteens, sleeping bags, the Gortex jacket and pants you will get. Also you will get an Army Fleece that is the King of all fleece’s as far as I am concerned. I fully anticipate Mortal Kombat between my wife and I when I get back over this fleece.
It would be wise to bring a diggit(leatherman) and a flashlight(preferably with a red lense) because you will find yourself in many a situations wishing that you had one. I know I did. You will get a summer and winter(gortex lined) dessert boots. The gortex one’s are good for while you are training in fall/winter/spring weather because they are more comfortable and warmer. However do not wear them in theater.
Do not expect to see any new movies while you are on deployment. You will only get to see the movies as they come out on DVD. They release them to the military earlier than the general public so you might see them before you can buy them. But again nothing new in the theaters(boo hiss I get to miss my Iron Man and Batman movies).
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn a few basic phrases in Arabic before you come here. If you are interested in buying jewelry remember in the middle east gold is fairly common and cheap. In Africa as is diamonds but do exercise caution that you don’t purchase a ‘conflict diamond’ because they are illegal and will land you in hot water.
Also most bases are no salute zones, Kuwait as far as I know is the exception to this rule. Even Fort Jackson was a no salute zone. In regards to your Army training pack locks and use them. In the case of Fort Jackson those unfortunate people who got reactivated would process through there as would the National Guard since the Navy rents the facilities there. So thieves are a common occurrence.
If your tour is for a year you get 15 days of R&R in which you can travel somewhere. I do not know if it includes home I am willing to wager it doesn’t. If you are a 6 mother you will get 96 hours of R&R which you can spend in the AOR. Which includes such places as Bahrain, Qatar, Djibouti, Ethiopia to name a few and if you are real lucky Egypt. Some places not allowed is Somalia Lebanon and Israel(boo hiss to that too).
As I discover/learn more useful information I will pass it along to you.
P.S. if you are a Djibouti IA get a No Fee Passport, it takes about 3 weeks for turn around you just need a photo(get them at Wal Mart/Walgreens) your birth certificate and the paperwork. You need one and if someone at your command tells you to wait until later THEY ARE WRONG!
P.S.S. Submit a travel claim regularly not only for sakes of paying your Government Travel Card but you also get a per diem rate of $3.50/day ontop of your Hazard Duty Pay, Imminent Danger Pay, Family Separation Allowance and your Tax Free(which you have to spend at least one day in theater to qualify for the month).
In terms of heat in Djibouti think of a hair dryer on high in front of your face and that would be the summer here. Things are changing here in October AFRICOM is going to be established in which JTF-HOA and Camp Lemonier will fall under this command instead of CENTCOM. Also this is becoming a PCS place so it might fall of the map in term of IA's.
Also even though it is considered a hazard duty place this is not an actual warzone like Afghanistan or Iraq. The mission here is centered around humanitarian work instead of war.
A lot of the power outlets here run off 220 so a variety of American electronics cant handle that much power, so I recommend you either buy or mail yourself a transformer that can convert it to 110. The plug in’s are also different from American one’s so purchase adapters that can plug into the sockets here so you can plug in those products that can handle 220(I.e. your laptop for example). Without these plugs you won’t be able to run any electronics. They can be purchased in Djibouti as far as I know, I did not see any in Kuwait and I can’t speak in regards to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sunscreen, yeah I know logic would dictate that it’s a no brainer but you would be surprised how many do not think of it. Wait till you get to theater until you buy an iron. No you don’t have to iron your uniform but some prissy Sailors still like to iron the uniforms they wear despite the fact they are in 1. A dessert and 2. A combat zone.
Do not buy or bring a Camelbak you will be given one during your training. If you are going to Djibouti we have wireless internet in our CLU(pronounced CLUE’s) however if you are in Echo or Foxtrot you won’t get a signal on the wireless unless you have an antenna which will amplify the connection. You can purchase them out in town and I will post the name once I get it. However you can also find them online at: http://www.ccrane.com
For those who are going to Djibouti you can also earn your Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal while you are here by doing community work out in the nearby villages and neighboring countries. From what I gathered you need from 70-120 hours to qualify for it.
I’ve also heard you can earn a Humanitarian medal but I will check into it so as it stands that is just gossip. There is a P-3 squadron here so it might be possible to earn your Aviation Warfare qual while here. Also there are colleges on base that will teach you in classes or via online.
If you are on the HOA side(note there is the HOA side and Camp Lemonier side) you qualify for Joint Service medals and will most likely get one. If you are Camp Lemoiner you will get NAM’s or NCM’s if you are lucky. People have been known to walk out of here with a CO LOC for the end of tour. Remember you do get a NEC from your training with the Army that singles you out as an IA.
Phone cards are a good thing to have. I recommend checking out: http://oif.spawareurope.net/index.htm
They have insanely cheap phone cards for military members especially if you are deployed to Iraq/Afghanistan you will look at about 9 cents a minute at most. Costs may vary depending on which parts you are located at. AT&T also has reasonable phone cards but they are not the best.
Do keep in mind though if you have a DSN number you can use it to call long distance for free. All that you have to do is find your local DSN operator (like a major local base in your area code). For example I am stationed in Bangor, WA so I would call Bremerton, WA and from there they can forward my call to a number in that area code. You can find a directory online of different DSN dispatchs to call. Once I am able to find it, I will post the number for one in Illinois that will forward you to any area code however the thing with this number is your phone calls are limited to 30 minutes.
If you live on the West Coast like myself you are looking at a 11 hour time difference. I.e. it is 2205 in Djibouti it is 1105 in Washington. Same time zone while in Kuwait.
If you are going to Djibouti bring your check book! There are no ATM’s on base and you have to go to Disbursing to get money in Djiboutian Francts. In order for this to happen you need to give them a check. You are limited to $200/day and $500/week. The NEX does accept ATM cards. Speaking in regards to the NEX it sucks. They run out of supplies quickly and are not quick to get them. So it might behoove you to have some harder to get things forwarded to you. Cleaning supplies go rather quickly here such as swiffer’s, brooms and mops.
On another note the air stinks here. Locals dispose of the garbage by burning it, so the rank odor fills the air. Some people place ionizers(check out Sharper Image) on the AC units to get rid of the odor. You will notice it and it will drive you nuts. Also bring stuff to deal with mold you get a lot of moisture in your CLU from the air conditioners so it molds easily. They have mini fans in the back of the unit’s however it can only do so much. Some people also leave the AC off for a day and let the fan dry it out with the help of the outside heat.
You cannot carry backpacks around in Kuwait and Djibouti. So try to avoid brining one other than your laptop bag. There was a situation not too long ago when someone snuck an IED onto the base in Kuwait and because of that the rule now stands. As far as I am aware it applies to Camelbak’s as well.
The food in Kuwait is awesome! It is the best food I have ever had in the military. Djibouti not so much. Here the water is bad as is most places in the Middle East. Bottled water is placed everywhere for your drinking pleasure and at all costs do not drink the local water. It will not kill you but it will turn your stomach into liquid and you will spend a lot of time on the toilet(trust me I found out the hard way). Brush your teeth with bottled water. Get use to battle showers as they call them or Submarine showers as I know them as. This consists of 30 seconds or so to get wet. 2 ½ minutes to soap up and rinse off. Some places they give you 5(such as Kuwait) in Djibouti it’s 3. They say that by taking 3 minute showers you can save 700 gallons of water a month.
Bring heavy duty sandals such as Croc’s, they will be a godsend for you. Do not open your CBR bag when you get it. One it will save you a pain going through customs and you won’t have to pay the government money for opening it. When it comes to keeping things if it touches your skin it’s yours to keep is the standard philosophy. The exceptions to this are canteens, sleeping bags, the Gortex jacket and pants you will get. Also you will get an Army Fleece that is the King of all fleece’s as far as I am concerned. I fully anticipate Mortal Kombat between my wife and I when I get back over this fleece.
It would be wise to bring a diggit(leatherman) and a flashlight(preferably with a red lense) because you will find yourself in many a situations wishing that you had one. I know I did. You will get a summer and winter(gortex lined) dessert boots. The gortex one’s are good for while you are training in fall/winter/spring weather because they are more comfortable and warmer. However do not wear them in theater.
Do not expect to see any new movies while you are on deployment. You will only get to see the movies as they come out on DVD. They release them to the military earlier than the general public so you might see them before you can buy them. But again nothing new in the theaters(boo hiss I get to miss my Iron Man and Batman movies).
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn a few basic phrases in Arabic before you come here. If you are interested in buying jewelry remember in the middle east gold is fairly common and cheap. In Africa as is diamonds but do exercise caution that you don’t purchase a ‘conflict diamond’ because they are illegal and will land you in hot water.
Also most bases are no salute zones, Kuwait as far as I know is the exception to this rule. Even Fort Jackson was a no salute zone. In regards to your Army training pack locks and use them. In the case of Fort Jackson those unfortunate people who got reactivated would process through there as would the National Guard since the Navy rents the facilities there. So thieves are a common occurrence.
If your tour is for a year you get 15 days of R&R in which you can travel somewhere. I do not know if it includes home I am willing to wager it doesn’t. If you are a 6 mother you will get 96 hours of R&R which you can spend in the AOR. Which includes such places as Bahrain, Qatar, Djibouti, Ethiopia to name a few and if you are real lucky Egypt. Some places not allowed is Somalia Lebanon and Israel(boo hiss to that too).
As I discover/learn more useful information I will pass it along to you.
P.S. if you are a Djibouti IA get a No Fee Passport, it takes about 3 weeks for turn around you just need a photo(get them at Wal Mart/Walgreens) your birth certificate and the paperwork. You need one and if someone at your command tells you to wait until later THEY ARE WRONG!
P.S.S. Submit a travel claim regularly not only for sakes of paying your Government Travel Card but you also get a per diem rate of $3.50/day ontop of your Hazard Duty Pay, Imminent Danger Pay, Family Separation Allowance and your Tax Free(which you have to spend at least one day in theater to qualify for the month).
In terms of heat in Djibouti think of a hair dryer on high in front of your face and that would be the summer here. Things are changing here in October AFRICOM is going to be established in which JTF-HOA and Camp Lemonier will fall under this command instead of CENTCOM. Also this is becoming a PCS place so it might fall of the map in term of IA's.
Also even though it is considered a hazard duty place this is not an actual warzone like Afghanistan or Iraq. The mission here is centered around humanitarian work instead of war.
Nightmare in Qatar
So the plans to travel to Djibouti shifted at the last minute. We had to be packed out, bags loaded and staged in order to fly out at midnight as opposed to 1000 the next day. This of course did not happen on schedule. We lifted off at 0100 onboard 1 of 5 C-130 Hercules in the United States Air Force. It was the most uncomfortable flight in my life(roughly 90 minutes in length) not to mention half my body was asleep from the vibration.
We touched down in Qatar and were bused to customs where we started filling out paperwork to be processed into the country. Our Senior Leadership failed to brief them that we were flying out on another flight at 0300. A flight that we would not be able to make considering we touched down at 0230. In Qatar you can be sent to jail for possessing pornography. This includes actual nudity magazines, or magazines that show women scantly clad such as Maxim, FHM and Stuff for example. Even some fitness magazines are considered controversial.
So naturally if you possess any of the listed material you have to purge your collection, computer and mp3 players of such material. Which caused a great panic in many of the men and women. So they collect our CAC cards and orders and begin to process us into the country while they continue the brief. Eventually they find out that we were supposed to already have boarded a plane and left the country. They turned tail and began to correct there mistake and process us out of the country. Our bags which had been neatly stacked were torn out of the stacks and thrown about in preparation of being searched by customs.
Once the situation was corrected we were ushered from tent to tent before boarding our flight. Now we were told we were flying on a C17(or was it 14) anyways as we walk up the airport tarmac we are greated by our plane another C-130.
Now a C-130 is not a very comfortable plane, it is ment more for cargo and hauling items. This plane was outfitted with cargo netting, straps and steel benches for seats. While flying it is loud to the point you have to wear earplugs. Warm enough to require constant hydrating and uncomfortable enough that you cannot sleep in it because you are butt to nut with someone else next to you. Then factor in that the flight is 6 ½ hours long. Needless to say I’ve been off the plane for 12 hours now. My ear feels clogged and I’m at partial hearing in it because of what feels like swimmers ear. Hopefully it will clear up soon, so here is to hoping.
In reflection I leave this sage piece of advice: Steer clear of Qatar at all possibility.
We touched down in Qatar and were bused to customs where we started filling out paperwork to be processed into the country. Our Senior Leadership failed to brief them that we were flying out on another flight at 0300. A flight that we would not be able to make considering we touched down at 0230. In Qatar you can be sent to jail for possessing pornography. This includes actual nudity magazines, or magazines that show women scantly clad such as Maxim, FHM and Stuff for example. Even some fitness magazines are considered controversial.
So naturally if you possess any of the listed material you have to purge your collection, computer and mp3 players of such material. Which caused a great panic in many of the men and women. So they collect our CAC cards and orders and begin to process us into the country while they continue the brief. Eventually they find out that we were supposed to already have boarded a plane and left the country. They turned tail and began to correct there mistake and process us out of the country. Our bags which had been neatly stacked were torn out of the stacks and thrown about in preparation of being searched by customs.
Once the situation was corrected we were ushered from tent to tent before boarding our flight. Now we were told we were flying on a C17(or was it 14) anyways as we walk up the airport tarmac we are greated by our plane another C-130.
Now a C-130 is not a very comfortable plane, it is ment more for cargo and hauling items. This plane was outfitted with cargo netting, straps and steel benches for seats. While flying it is loud to the point you have to wear earplugs. Warm enough to require constant hydrating and uncomfortable enough that you cannot sleep in it because you are butt to nut with someone else next to you. Then factor in that the flight is 6 ½ hours long. Needless to say I’ve been off the plane for 12 hours now. My ear feels clogged and I’m at partial hearing in it because of what feels like swimmers ear. Hopefully it will clear up soon, so here is to hoping.
In reflection I leave this sage piece of advice: Steer clear of Qatar at all possibility.
Kuwait: Camp Virginia
We departed Fort McCrady late on Thursday evening. Our flight would take us from Colubmia Airport to JFK to Hahn, Germany and from there to Kuwait. Originally our stay in Kuwait was going to be a short one consisting us staying just Saturday and flying to Qatar for an overnight stay on Sunday and then to Djibouti on Monday. However due to many planes being grounded at this point and time and a lurking sand storm on the horizon our stay was delayed by a day. Instead we depart Kuwait on Monday for an arrival in Qatar that day. From there however we have no idea how long of a stay will be required before we report to Djibouti as anticipated.
Certain people will be designated as shooters in which they will be armed out and attached to a single vehicle, if the convoy comes under attack these are the select handful of people that will protect the convoy. So keep in mind that you may be designated as a shooter.
The flight from stateside to Kuwait was rather boring. However there was no short abundance of food given to us. The Army provided us with there own meal which was mediocre at best. Shortly before we landed a crew would feed us and as soon as they were relieved they would feed us once more. The flight crew showed various movies and tv shows to provide us with entertainment other than sleeping.
We arrived about 2300 on February 29th and were bused under armored escort to Camp Virgina. It’s an interesting place mingling with the locals and seeing how they view us and vice versa. For those who have never been here the vendors and shops deal in American currency. They vendors will be willing to barter however with the shopettes you will pay sticker prices. Everything is tax free and ATM’s are available. You can also get Kuwaiti Denars from the ATM. Check online for the exchange rate between the two currencies.
We are sleeping in 12 cot wall tents(and yes there is air conditioning). The food and service here has been the best I have experiences yet in the military. There is a shortage of activities to do. A local USO provides entertainment in the form of slow internet, video games, movies and a library. There are a couple of phone centers and internet labs as well as a movie theater which shows movies on DVD.
There might be more to Camp Virginia than I am aware of and please do bear in mind that my stay here was only two days at the most so I do not have a full assessment of the camp.
Certain people will be designated as shooters in which they will be armed out and attached to a single vehicle, if the convoy comes under attack these are the select handful of people that will protect the convoy. So keep in mind that you may be designated as a shooter.
The flight from stateside to Kuwait was rather boring. However there was no short abundance of food given to us. The Army provided us with there own meal which was mediocre at best. Shortly before we landed a crew would feed us and as soon as they were relieved they would feed us once more. The flight crew showed various movies and tv shows to provide us with entertainment other than sleeping.
We arrived about 2300 on February 29th and were bused under armored escort to Camp Virgina. It’s an interesting place mingling with the locals and seeing how they view us and vice versa. For those who have never been here the vendors and shops deal in American currency. They vendors will be willing to barter however with the shopettes you will pay sticker prices. Everything is tax free and ATM’s are available. You can also get Kuwaiti Denars from the ATM. Check online for the exchange rate between the two currencies.
We are sleeping in 12 cot wall tents(and yes there is air conditioning). The food and service here has been the best I have experiences yet in the military. There is a shortage of activities to do. A local USO provides entertainment in the form of slow internet, video games, movies and a library. There are a couple of phone centers and internet labs as well as a movie theater which shows movies on DVD.
There might be more to Camp Virginia than I am aware of and please do bear in mind that my stay here was only two days at the most so I do not have a full assessment of the camp.
Fort Jackson: Week 3 of 3
The last week at McCrady was relatively short. Monday we were the first to experience a new angle in the training. We broke down by Platoons and hoped in a convoy that escorted across the base. From that point we simulated an infield convoy in which we stopped at multiple points for potential IED’s on the roadside. We would secure the area around the convoy fan out and ID our suspected bomb.
We did a touch up on Land Navigation using DAGGERS(GPS units) to obtain fixes and plant coordinates. We did a good clean of our rifles at the dunk tanks, since those who had ‘loaner’ weapons turned them in on Tuesday. Those who kept there weapons were issued travel cases. Another class on Communications using the Army’s communication gears in which we wrote up an actual 9 Line Medevac/IED Report as well as assembling the radio gear and programming it. From there we spent a couple of hours on Urban Combat in the Box City. Here we practiced clearing buildings and what to do in various situations as well as what not to do. Lastly a class on how to conduct ECP(Entry Control Point) searches of personnel and vehicles. Myself having experience in this stuff from prior Security Schools and trainings found the Army’s way of operating vastly different than the Navy’s so it would behoove you to pay attention during these classes.
Tuesday was the big war game scenario. Each platoon has roughly 2 hours to complete there scenario in which they will travel by armed convoy from a FOB(Forward Operating Base) to a local village to provide supplies. Along the route we experienced encounters with IED’s, vehicular attacks as well as ambushes by foot soldiers. Once we reached the village we had to fend of an attack and secure the village and it’s buildings. Some of the buildings had IED’s planted in them which would explode upon our entry. Bear in mind IED’s are simulated by smoke grenades or loud sirens. Munitions that were fired were blanks, and the Humvee’s were light armored and did have some M249’s mounted on the forward and aft vehicles.
Wednesday was debriefing in which we provided feedback to the Army, packed our bags and received a travel briefing from LNO.
Thursday we policed the barracks, had our checkout inspection and then loaded the 1 ton trucks with our bags and loaded the buses and departed for our respective theaters.
Those deploying to Iraq/Afghanistan will spend a week in Kuwait where they will designate Humvee drivers and these people will attend a day long driving course to get certified. You will need your Kevlar helmet and drivers license for this class. There is a HEAT class which I am not certain on the details of as well as your time at the Udari Range in which you will do more Responsive firing(both from the front and back so the risk of friendly fire is great during this) and then more convoy and urban operations.
We did a touch up on Land Navigation using DAGGERS(GPS units) to obtain fixes and plant coordinates. We did a good clean of our rifles at the dunk tanks, since those who had ‘loaner’ weapons turned them in on Tuesday. Those who kept there weapons were issued travel cases. Another class on Communications using the Army’s communication gears in which we wrote up an actual 9 Line Medevac/IED Report as well as assembling the radio gear and programming it. From there we spent a couple of hours on Urban Combat in the Box City. Here we practiced clearing buildings and what to do in various situations as well as what not to do. Lastly a class on how to conduct ECP(Entry Control Point) searches of personnel and vehicles. Myself having experience in this stuff from prior Security Schools and trainings found the Army’s way of operating vastly different than the Navy’s so it would behoove you to pay attention during these classes.
Tuesday was the big war game scenario. Each platoon has roughly 2 hours to complete there scenario in which they will travel by armed convoy from a FOB(Forward Operating Base) to a local village to provide supplies. Along the route we experienced encounters with IED’s, vehicular attacks as well as ambushes by foot soldiers. Once we reached the village we had to fend of an attack and secure the village and it’s buildings. Some of the buildings had IED’s planted in them which would explode upon our entry. Bear in mind IED’s are simulated by smoke grenades or loud sirens. Munitions that were fired were blanks, and the Humvee’s were light armored and did have some M249’s mounted on the forward and aft vehicles.
Wednesday was debriefing in which we provided feedback to the Army, packed our bags and received a travel briefing from LNO.
Thursday we policed the barracks, had our checkout inspection and then loaded the 1 ton trucks with our bags and loaded the buses and departed for our respective theaters.
Those deploying to Iraq/Afghanistan will spend a week in Kuwait where they will designate Humvee drivers and these people will attend a day long driving course to get certified. You will need your Kevlar helmet and drivers license for this class. There is a HEAT class which I am not certain on the details of as well as your time at the Udari Range in which you will do more Responsive firing(both from the front and back so the risk of friendly fire is great during this) and then more convoy and urban operations.
Fort Jackson: Week 2 of 3
The second week is by far your most involved week. You will finish your time on the range by actually performing your reflexive fire that you may do once more depending if you go to the Udari Range or not. If you do it at the Udari range the only difference is that you are closer and targets will pop up on both sides of you requiring you to move back and forth and remain aware of your muzzle control.
You will dress out in full battle rattle and run down the range from baricade to baricade while firing at targets from behind cover. Your cover will alternate from standing, to kneeling to laying prone and then to your off hand at last.
You will do your qualification shoot in which you need a 35 to shoot ‘Expert’. You have three rounds to do this in if you did not do it during your prequal. If you did pass during your prequal you still have to shoot. The 3rd round of shots will be in your IBA as opposed to just your Kevlar.
You will complete a first aide class, receive a class on local customs and traditions that will indoctrinate you into the customs of the Middle Eastern cultures. There will be a land navigation course with a good ole compass, map and protractor as well as an indoctrination using DAGGER’s(GPS device). You will touch up some on the communication units used as well as more classes on IED’s both hands on and some in death by power point format.
There will be a low level light fire for both M16 and M9 weapons. As of now it consists of you sitting around at the range for 5 + hours waiting for the sun to go down. To pass time we covered moving in large groups, fire team movements and how to dismount from Humvee’s and establish a security area.
The culmination of the week is the Bastogne Range in which you will fire a M249, M249 SAW, M9 Gernade Launcher and a 50 caliber artillery placement. Everyone will fire this and despite how scary the weapons might be they are quite fun. Throughout your time at the range you will receive a couple training sessions on how the weapons are loaded, cocked, fired and you may even be fortunate enough to clean a couple of them.
Clean your rifle every chance you get whether or not it will be your go to war weapon. If it’s a loner you will have turn in a clean rifle at the end of your training. You will fire blanks multiple times and they are notorious for leaving your rifle dirty and grimey.
You will dress out in full battle rattle and run down the range from baricade to baricade while firing at targets from behind cover. Your cover will alternate from standing, to kneeling to laying prone and then to your off hand at last.
You will do your qualification shoot in which you need a 35 to shoot ‘Expert’. You have three rounds to do this in if you did not do it during your prequal. If you did pass during your prequal you still have to shoot. The 3rd round of shots will be in your IBA as opposed to just your Kevlar.
You will complete a first aide class, receive a class on local customs and traditions that will indoctrinate you into the customs of the Middle Eastern cultures. There will be a land navigation course with a good ole compass, map and protractor as well as an indoctrination using DAGGER’s(GPS device). You will touch up some on the communication units used as well as more classes on IED’s both hands on and some in death by power point format.
There will be a low level light fire for both M16 and M9 weapons. As of now it consists of you sitting around at the range for 5 + hours waiting for the sun to go down. To pass time we covered moving in large groups, fire team movements and how to dismount from Humvee’s and establish a security area.
The culmination of the week is the Bastogne Range in which you will fire a M249, M249 SAW, M9 Gernade Launcher and a 50 caliber artillery placement. Everyone will fire this and despite how scary the weapons might be they are quite fun. Throughout your time at the range you will receive a couple training sessions on how the weapons are loaded, cocked, fired and you may even be fortunate enough to clean a couple of them.
Clean your rifle every chance you get whether or not it will be your go to war weapon. If it’s a loner you will have turn in a clean rifle at the end of your training. You will fire blanks multiple times and they are notorious for leaving your rifle dirty and grimey.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Fort Jackson Week 1 of 3.
For those going to Fort Jackson you will arrive on a Saturday and be checked into your barracks which is open bay. You’ll be given your linens bear in mind it’s not much only a few sheets and one wool blanket. As I am here they are renovating some of the barracks and adding new furniture into them. The one’s I currently am is old Army gear from the 80’s-90’s that is falling apart in multiple pieces.
You will be broken down into either Bravo or Charlie Company and from there into 1 of 4 Platoons and then even further into squads. As far as I can gather most of the Djibouti people are in Bravo Company, there are some Iraq/Afghanistan in it but majority are in Charlie. Your schedules will differ from each other as well. Also please note that although your orders say Fort Jackson you are going to be working out of Fort McCrady Task Force Center which is a small facility/base ran by the SCARNG(South Carolina Army National Guard). The SCARNG also holds OCS here and those people who have been called up from inactive duty process through here so you might be likely to run into some pissed of Soldiers.
From what it seems while I am here things will be easier for you if you are in Bravo Company. Charlie has been up every morning Pting in order to get you in shape for when you arrive in theater. Each Platoon is assigned 3 Drill Instructors my own would be Drill Sargeant(1SGT) Capers, (SSGT) Reilly and (SSGT) Rutledge. They have been monumental in making this process less gruesome.
While you are here you will become a Soldier(Saildier) and indoctrinated into the Army(NARMY)(These are how we refer to them). Your first Sunday will consist of a muster just to ensure everyone is here and class will begin bright and early Monday morning.
Your day’s here will usually begin in the 04-0500 time frame, sometimes later depending on your schedule for the day. Like I said each companies activities varies so one may be ahead of the other or they might at the same point in the training.
Your first week will start off with an inbrief and many power points, possibly an introduction to PT and how the Army does it. Trust me everyone thinks it’s stupid and you will feel stupid doing it that way. Show up in DCU’s if you have them so they know who does and does not have uniforms. Otherwise Navy issued PT gear. Tuesday you will process through and get your gear. Expect to get 3 seabags while you are here, so that gives you a total of 4 or 5(1 from NMPS and an extra one if you brought it.). You will be issued a plethora of gear that you will most likely never need but will still have to drag around. You will be issued uniforms if you don’t have. Your Kevlar(helmet) I.B.A(vest which can weigh anywhere from 50-100 lbs depending on your size) knee pads, elbow pads, your glasses, gloves and your M16/M4/M9. You will be issued a loner if you do not require one in theater otherwise this gun you are given will be your ‘go to war’ weapon so ensure that it is a quality rifle and will not break on you. Otherwise you will spend your time in combat with a piece of shit rifle.
If you don’t like the boots that you were given at NMPS you will be issued a cold weather pair of boots lined with gortex. As you probably heard if it touches your skin you keep it, so these boots will be yours in the end. They are more comfortable and better quality. From what I have seen the regular boots have common defects in them that make them quite unbearable to wear. I recommend these for the time that you are at Fort Jackson.
Your ‘Battle Rattle’ which consists of your I.B.A., googles, knee and elbow pads, camelbak and rifle will become your new wardrobe. Very rarely will you go without it and when you do your Camelbak is still considered apart of your standard uniform. View this training as a mini Boot Camp, you are not going to be yelled at like a Private/Recruit and you will be treated with respect since you are seasoned Sailors but again you are here to be trained. You will march in formation, eat as a platoon and do everything as a platoon.
Your rifle is your friend as they say. You will have nightly/weekend watches in which your only purpose is to watch rifles locked up in lockers. Otherwise your rifle never leaves 6 feet from you unless someone is watching it for you. Never go to the restroom(latrine) with your rifle. Also expect to clear it every time you enter a building. For those who are familiar with carrying a rifle in the Navy the clearing procedure is almost the same save for 2 additional steps the Army uses. The same applies for your M9.
Remember you are apart of the Army for the most part while you are here so the lingo is different. Secure to the Army means pickup not put up. They don’t know what a Chit is so when you round a Special Request Chit they won’t have a general idea of what you are speaking about. You will attend class Monday-Saturday and Saturday evening you will be cut out on liberty if the DI’s and ECRC deem so. You cannot go beyond 100 miles, and if you go further than that you need to route a Special Request Chit.
Fort McCrady is actually a 30 minute drive from Fort Jackson. On base there is a AAFES PX which is rather nice but that is all there is to do. On McCrady you will find a mini PX, the Impact Zone(bar/movie lounge) and another tv lounge. McCrady is rather small and does not provide a lot of entertainment. Wireless internet is available for everyone however it becomes quite slow.
The rest of your first week may consist of weapons familiarization. You will spend time in a simulator practicing good marksmanship. You will fire many rounds in order to Zero and eventually Sight in your Rifle and then you will go to an electronic range that will make your rifle even more accurate and then lastly you will do your ‘Prequal’ shoot. In the Army you 23 out of 40 hits to qualify. 36 out of 40 for expert. It is not like the Navy or Air Force where you shoot at a piece of paper. You have multiple targets from 50 meters to 300 meters that pop up at random points for a certain time ranging from 3-8 seconds depending on the distance(farther one’s stay up longer). Save your long shots if you are not good at making them, you can miss all the long one’s and hit all the closer one’s and still qualify. If you do better on your Prequal shoot and do not pass on your actual Qual shoot they will count your Prequal scores.
You will become tired of putting your IBA on and taking it off all the time. When you exit the ranges here they will make you take off all your equipment and they will pat you down to make sure you have no extra rounds on you. If you get caught with one expect to standby. If you loose your rifle expect to standby and loose a Stripe of your sleeve. It’s a bad thing when someone catches your rifle by it’s lonesome unmonitored, same for your M9. You will fire your guns until you get sick of it and then you will fire more. Eventually you will get to fire heavy weapons during your second week.
When you are not shooting there will be concurrent training stationed around the ranges, this usually consists of First Aide, IED recognition class, Reflexive Fire practice, Heavy Weapons familiarization and again waiting around.
You will learn that Hooo-yah(Huah as it’s pronounced in the Army) stands for Hurry Up and Wait..Again. For the Army Hooyah means anything and everything with the exception of No. So you will hear it every other sentence when speaking to a DI.
When you are away from McCrady your lunch will consist of MRE like meals(I say MRE like because these meals are worse than MRE’s(yes there is such a thing) . They were created for Katrina Relief and are disgusting.) and Bag Nasties. You alternate between the two so you do get some variety.
Your day is usually over about 1600-1700 and you will have to muster one last time for dinner formations. After dinner it’s all done.
There is an ECRC Staff here to help you out. You will also feel out ISOPREPS which are designed for Special Forces to identify you incase you were captured and rescued by them. They are 4 short phrases about significant events in your life. They are meant to be detailed and not common knowledge. You will also come up with a 4 digit number that you MUST remember that only these Special Forces people will know.
If you have any outstanding medical/dental issues or gear issues that were not taken care of while at NMPS they will be solved while you are here. For those of you who are going to Afghanistan or Djibouti you will be issued Molaria pills either a daily(Dioxycycline) or a weekly one. They are rumored to cause hallucinations however according to pharmacists it’s not apart of the side effects.
Lights out is at 10 and you are only allowed to drink while on liberty however this is not a rule actively enforced. Expect to see the OIC and AOIC of ECRC, and the CO and XO of Ft McCrady around during your training a lot. They take an active role in the training since they only get a new group every 3 weeks. Do keep in mind as well a lot of the ECRC Staff as well as NMPS are Reservists.
If you are a E9 or O4 and higher you will be issued your own berthing. It is said that 01-03 also get there own berthing together however they made the mistake while my group was here and did not follow that rule. Otherwise it’s all Enlisted together in open bay barracks. Expect a lot of cleaning too these buildings are old and dirty and it’s liberty dependent.
That is for the most part the first week in brief. Majority of your week is spent at the shooting range with filler classes here and there.
You will be broken down into either Bravo or Charlie Company and from there into 1 of 4 Platoons and then even further into squads. As far as I can gather most of the Djibouti people are in Bravo Company, there are some Iraq/Afghanistan in it but majority are in Charlie. Your schedules will differ from each other as well. Also please note that although your orders say Fort Jackson you are going to be working out of Fort McCrady Task Force Center which is a small facility/base ran by the SCARNG(South Carolina Army National Guard). The SCARNG also holds OCS here and those people who have been called up from inactive duty process through here so you might be likely to run into some pissed of Soldiers.
From what it seems while I am here things will be easier for you if you are in Bravo Company. Charlie has been up every morning Pting in order to get you in shape for when you arrive in theater. Each Platoon is assigned 3 Drill Instructors my own would be Drill Sargeant(1SGT) Capers, (SSGT) Reilly and (SSGT) Rutledge. They have been monumental in making this process less gruesome.
While you are here you will become a Soldier(Saildier) and indoctrinated into the Army(NARMY)(These are how we refer to them). Your first Sunday will consist of a muster just to ensure everyone is here and class will begin bright and early Monday morning.
Your day’s here will usually begin in the 04-0500 time frame, sometimes later depending on your schedule for the day. Like I said each companies activities varies so one may be ahead of the other or they might at the same point in the training.
Your first week will start off with an inbrief and many power points, possibly an introduction to PT and how the Army does it. Trust me everyone thinks it’s stupid and you will feel stupid doing it that way. Show up in DCU’s if you have them so they know who does and does not have uniforms. Otherwise Navy issued PT gear. Tuesday you will process through and get your gear. Expect to get 3 seabags while you are here, so that gives you a total of 4 or 5(1 from NMPS and an extra one if you brought it.). You will be issued a plethora of gear that you will most likely never need but will still have to drag around. You will be issued uniforms if you don’t have. Your Kevlar(helmet) I.B.A(vest which can weigh anywhere from 50-100 lbs depending on your size) knee pads, elbow pads, your glasses, gloves and your M16/M4/M9. You will be issued a loner if you do not require one in theater otherwise this gun you are given will be your ‘go to war’ weapon so ensure that it is a quality rifle and will not break on you. Otherwise you will spend your time in combat with a piece of shit rifle.
If you don’t like the boots that you were given at NMPS you will be issued a cold weather pair of boots lined with gortex. As you probably heard if it touches your skin you keep it, so these boots will be yours in the end. They are more comfortable and better quality. From what I have seen the regular boots have common defects in them that make them quite unbearable to wear. I recommend these for the time that you are at Fort Jackson.
Your ‘Battle Rattle’ which consists of your I.B.A., googles, knee and elbow pads, camelbak and rifle will become your new wardrobe. Very rarely will you go without it and when you do your Camelbak is still considered apart of your standard uniform. View this training as a mini Boot Camp, you are not going to be yelled at like a Private/Recruit and you will be treated with respect since you are seasoned Sailors but again you are here to be trained. You will march in formation, eat as a platoon and do everything as a platoon.
Your rifle is your friend as they say. You will have nightly/weekend watches in which your only purpose is to watch rifles locked up in lockers. Otherwise your rifle never leaves 6 feet from you unless someone is watching it for you. Never go to the restroom(latrine) with your rifle. Also expect to clear it every time you enter a building. For those who are familiar with carrying a rifle in the Navy the clearing procedure is almost the same save for 2 additional steps the Army uses. The same applies for your M9.
Remember you are apart of the Army for the most part while you are here so the lingo is different. Secure to the Army means pickup not put up. They don’t know what a Chit is so when you round a Special Request Chit they won’t have a general idea of what you are speaking about. You will attend class Monday-Saturday and Saturday evening you will be cut out on liberty if the DI’s and ECRC deem so. You cannot go beyond 100 miles, and if you go further than that you need to route a Special Request Chit.
Fort McCrady is actually a 30 minute drive from Fort Jackson. On base there is a AAFES PX which is rather nice but that is all there is to do. On McCrady you will find a mini PX, the Impact Zone(bar/movie lounge) and another tv lounge. McCrady is rather small and does not provide a lot of entertainment. Wireless internet is available for everyone however it becomes quite slow.
The rest of your first week may consist of weapons familiarization. You will spend time in a simulator practicing good marksmanship. You will fire many rounds in order to Zero and eventually Sight in your Rifle and then you will go to an electronic range that will make your rifle even more accurate and then lastly you will do your ‘Prequal’ shoot. In the Army you 23 out of 40 hits to qualify. 36 out of 40 for expert. It is not like the Navy or Air Force where you shoot at a piece of paper. You have multiple targets from 50 meters to 300 meters that pop up at random points for a certain time ranging from 3-8 seconds depending on the distance(farther one’s stay up longer). Save your long shots if you are not good at making them, you can miss all the long one’s and hit all the closer one’s and still qualify. If you do better on your Prequal shoot and do not pass on your actual Qual shoot they will count your Prequal scores.
You will become tired of putting your IBA on and taking it off all the time. When you exit the ranges here they will make you take off all your equipment and they will pat you down to make sure you have no extra rounds on you. If you get caught with one expect to standby. If you loose your rifle expect to standby and loose a Stripe of your sleeve. It’s a bad thing when someone catches your rifle by it’s lonesome unmonitored, same for your M9. You will fire your guns until you get sick of it and then you will fire more. Eventually you will get to fire heavy weapons during your second week.
When you are not shooting there will be concurrent training stationed around the ranges, this usually consists of First Aide, IED recognition class, Reflexive Fire practice, Heavy Weapons familiarization and again waiting around.
You will learn that Hooo-yah(Huah as it’s pronounced in the Army) stands for Hurry Up and Wait..Again. For the Army Hooyah means anything and everything with the exception of No. So you will hear it every other sentence when speaking to a DI.
When you are away from McCrady your lunch will consist of MRE like meals(I say MRE like because these meals are worse than MRE’s(yes there is such a thing) . They were created for Katrina Relief and are disgusting.) and Bag Nasties. You alternate between the two so you do get some variety.
Your day is usually over about 1600-1700 and you will have to muster one last time for dinner formations. After dinner it’s all done.
There is an ECRC Staff here to help you out. You will also feel out ISOPREPS which are designed for Special Forces to identify you incase you were captured and rescued by them. They are 4 short phrases about significant events in your life. They are meant to be detailed and not common knowledge. You will also come up with a 4 digit number that you MUST remember that only these Special Forces people will know.
If you have any outstanding medical/dental issues or gear issues that were not taken care of while at NMPS they will be solved while you are here. For those of you who are going to Afghanistan or Djibouti you will be issued Molaria pills either a daily(Dioxycycline) or a weekly one. They are rumored to cause hallucinations however according to pharmacists it’s not apart of the side effects.
Lights out is at 10 and you are only allowed to drink while on liberty however this is not a rule actively enforced. Expect to see the OIC and AOIC of ECRC, and the CO and XO of Ft McCrady around during your training a lot. They take an active role in the training since they only get a new group every 3 weeks. Do keep in mind as well a lot of the ECRC Staff as well as NMPS are Reservists.
If you are a E9 or O4 and higher you will be issued your own berthing. It is said that 01-03 also get there own berthing together however they made the mistake while my group was here and did not follow that rule. Otherwise it’s all Enlisted together in open bay barracks. Expect a lot of cleaning too these buildings are old and dirty and it’s liberty dependent.
That is for the most part the first week in brief. Majority of your week is spent at the shooting range with filler classes here and there.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
NMPS Norfolk completed
Okay so NMPS Norfolk or any NMPS site for that matter is simply a processing site designed in order to help you complete your ECRC Checklist and ensure that you are deployable.
The information listed below might change from when I went through to when you might process through. The program is critique driven and organized so it is likely that it will change.
Your time there is one week overall. You will either stay in the barracks on base or out in town at the Lake Wright Inn.
During your time there you will square away your medical i.e. shots, meds, etc. Dental, uniform issue and PSD issues such as Family Seperation Allowance starting. For those of you who are Reservist while you are there you will be brought into an Active Duty status.
Monday is the start of the week and essentially an indoctrination day where they give you your 'Tri-fold folder' that has all the sheets that you need. The Chaplain, OIC, ECRC and NSO will brief you.
Tuesday starts off with PT at 0630. From there you will must at 0830 at NMPS and begin your medical/dental processing. I implore you to get this taken care of while you are with your Permanent Duty Station. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time waiting in line and missing out on a lot of free time. Once your medical issues are done you are essentially finished with NMPS save for a few briefs and uniform issue. Tuesday evening you will be sized for your uniforms.
Wednesday starts of with PT at you guess it 0630. Muster again at 0830 for those who have medical appointments and other things to take care of. If you are finished with everything the day is yours to do with it what you want. The ECRC will meet with you this day and help you with any last things you need to be completed.
Thursday is a PT day as well. Medical throughout the day and PSD appointments for those that need them. You will meet with someone from PSD who will brief you on how to fill out your travel claim that you will be required to fill out every 30 days. BE SURE THAT YOU KEEP ALL YOUR RECEIPTS! If you stay out in town, are authorized a rental car ensure that you get it in writing and maintain a copy for yourself otherwise you will not be reimbursed. This is when you will do your final checkout. Also you will be sized out for your CRB suit and your gas mask, which requires you to sit under a plastic hood with a scented gas being leaked into it while you move your head around.
Friday is a short day in which you will pick up your uniforms. Ensure everything is there. The only things you will be allowed to keep is your boots, blouse, slacks, socks and covers. Anything that touches your skin in other words. If you don't bring something back when you are done you just bought it.
Saturday you must bright an early to complete an 8 hour drive to Fort Jackson if that is your next stop .
If you need dog tags you can order them at NMPS. Remember to pack light. You will need civies while at NMPS as well as a working uniform or utilities. On Thursday they will ask you to mail off the items that you don't need. Do remember that when all is said and done you will end up with 4 seabags worth of equipment and clothing that you have to lug around on your own. So again pack light.
For those of you who are going to Afghanistan or HOA Djibouti you will be issued Dixocycline which is a 100 MG pill used to prevent molaria. Rumor has it people have been experiencing hallucinations while on it. You are required to take it daily and one of the common side effects is it will enhance your chances of getting sunburned.
I recommend that you purchase a Camelbak it will make things easier and better than lugging around canteens.
If you have any questions leave comments or shoot me an email at abbeadam@gmail.com
The information listed below might change from when I went through to when you might process through. The program is critique driven and organized so it is likely that it will change.
Your time there is one week overall. You will either stay in the barracks on base or out in town at the Lake Wright Inn.
During your time there you will square away your medical i.e. shots, meds, etc. Dental, uniform issue and PSD issues such as Family Seperation Allowance starting. For those of you who are Reservist while you are there you will be brought into an Active Duty status.
Monday is the start of the week and essentially an indoctrination day where they give you your 'Tri-fold folder' that has all the sheets that you need. The Chaplain, OIC, ECRC and NSO will brief you.
Tuesday starts off with PT at 0630. From there you will must at 0830 at NMPS and begin your medical/dental processing. I implore you to get this taken care of while you are with your Permanent Duty Station. Otherwise you will spend a lot of time waiting in line and missing out on a lot of free time. Once your medical issues are done you are essentially finished with NMPS save for a few briefs and uniform issue. Tuesday evening you will be sized for your uniforms.
Wednesday starts of with PT at you guess it 0630. Muster again at 0830 for those who have medical appointments and other things to take care of. If you are finished with everything the day is yours to do with it what you want. The ECRC will meet with you this day and help you with any last things you need to be completed.
Thursday is a PT day as well. Medical throughout the day and PSD appointments for those that need them. You will meet with someone from PSD who will brief you on how to fill out your travel claim that you will be required to fill out every 30 days. BE SURE THAT YOU KEEP ALL YOUR RECEIPTS! If you stay out in town, are authorized a rental car ensure that you get it in writing and maintain a copy for yourself otherwise you will not be reimbursed. This is when you will do your final checkout. Also you will be sized out for your CRB suit and your gas mask, which requires you to sit under a plastic hood with a scented gas being leaked into it while you move your head around.
Friday is a short day in which you will pick up your uniforms. Ensure everything is there. The only things you will be allowed to keep is your boots, blouse, slacks, socks and covers. Anything that touches your skin in other words. If you don't bring something back when you are done you just bought it.
Saturday you must bright an early to complete an 8 hour drive to Fort Jackson if that is your next stop .
If you need dog tags you can order them at NMPS. Remember to pack light. You will need civies while at NMPS as well as a working uniform or utilities. On Thursday they will ask you to mail off the items that you don't need. Do remember that when all is said and done you will end up with 4 seabags worth of equipment and clothing that you have to lug around on your own. So again pack light.
For those of you who are going to Afghanistan or HOA Djibouti you will be issued Dixocycline which is a 100 MG pill used to prevent molaria. Rumor has it people have been experiencing hallucinations while on it. You are required to take it daily and one of the common side effects is it will enhance your chances of getting sunburned.
I recommend that you purchase a Camelbak it will make things easier and better than lugging around canteens.
If you have any questions leave comments or shoot me an email at abbeadam@gmail.com
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The hotness that exists in the bible
Your breasts are like gazelles, twin deer among the lillies.
Your lips, my bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue.
I have undressed; why should I ever get dressed again.
Song of Solomon
Your lips, my bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue.
I have undressed; why should I ever get dressed again.
Song of Solomon
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A new tale.
As you will come to learn with by reading this blog. This is my tale, a tale of discovery of a new continent a culture and a face of the Global War on Terror that is hidden by the modern media.
My name is Yeoman Second Class (SS) Adam Lee Joseph Davis. I've served two years now in the United States Navy and in four days I leave my life, friends and wife behind for something alien and inexplicable.
Djibouti is the name of my new home. Located on the Horn of Africa. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen.
Somalia of which was made famous by the movie Black Hawk Down, Yemen itself is famous for an event in which the USS Cole was bombed by Al Qaeda resulting in the death of dozens of Sailors.
But before my story begins let me share a little bit of information.
17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS.
At least 25 million people in africa are HIV-positive.
12 million childred who have lost their parents to AIDS face a precarious future.
Despite its trove of natural resources, the yearly incomes of Africans are some of the lowest in the world. Nearly half of its people live on less than a dollar a day.
Modern Africans are arguably the most diverse people in the world. More than 3,000 unique ethnic groups are recognized in Africa.
n Africa today, you can find plants that have existed since the age of the dinosaurs.
This use of children in war is greatly facilitated by an estimated 500 million small arms and assault weapons worldwide. These weapons are very inexpensive—an AK-47 and two clips of ammunition can be bought for $12 on the Mozambican border. They are also durable, small, lightweight, easy to maintain, and simple enough for a 10-year-old to handle.
As the end of wars in Sierra Leone, Angola, and elsewhere freed thousands of former child soldiers from active armed conflict, new conflicts in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire drew in thousands of new child recruits, including former child soldiers from neighboring countries.
According to UNICEF statistics, 300,000 children under 18 are serving as regular soldiers, guerrilla fighters, porters, spies, sexual slaves, and even suicide commandos, in conflicts under way in over 50 nations. Over the past decade, conflicts have claimed the lives of more than 2 million children; left millions maimed or permanently disabled, 10 million with serious psychological trauma, and resulted in over 12 million children refugees. In addition, worldwide conflicts have created 1 million orphans. The health and education of even larger numbers have been affected because conflicts have destroyed crops, schools and clinics.
That will do it for now.
My name is Yeoman Second Class (SS) Adam Lee Joseph Davis. I've served two years now in the United States Navy and in four days I leave my life, friends and wife behind for something alien and inexplicable.
Djibouti is the name of my new home. Located on the Horn of Africa. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen.
Somalia of which was made famous by the movie Black Hawk Down, Yemen itself is famous for an event in which the USS Cole was bombed by Al Qaeda resulting in the death of dozens of Sailors.
But before my story begins let me share a little bit of information.
17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS.
At least 25 million people in africa are HIV-positive.
12 million childred who have lost their parents to AIDS face a precarious future.
Despite its trove of natural resources, the yearly incomes of Africans are some of the lowest in the world. Nearly half of its people live on less than a dollar a day.
Modern Africans are arguably the most diverse people in the world. More than 3,000 unique ethnic groups are recognized in Africa.
n Africa today, you can find plants that have existed since the age of the dinosaurs.
Under-5 mortality rank | 61 |
Under-5 mortality rate, 1990 | 60 |
Under-5 mortality rate, 2005 | 68 |
Infant mortality rate (under 1), 1990 | 45 |
Infant mortality rate (under 1), 2005 | 55 |
Neonatal mortality rate, 2000 | 21 |
Total population (thousands), 2005 | 47432 |
Annual no. of births (thousands), 2005 | 1082 |
Annual no. of under-5 deaths (thousands), 2005 | 74 |
GNI per capita (US$), 2005 | 4960 |
Life expectancy at birth (years), 2005 | 46 |
Total adult literacy rate, 2000-2004* | 82 |
Net primary school enrolment/attendance (%) , 2000-2005* | 89 |
% share of household income 1994-2004*, lowest 40% | 10 |
% share of household income 1994-2004*, highest 20% |
As the end of wars in Sierra Leone, Angola, and elsewhere freed thousands of former child soldiers from active armed conflict, new conflicts in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire drew in thousands of new child recruits, including former child soldiers from neighboring countries.
According to UNICEF statistics, 300,000 children under 18 are serving as regular soldiers, guerrilla fighters, porters, spies, sexual slaves, and even suicide commandos, in conflicts under way in over 50 nations. Over the past decade, conflicts have claimed the lives of more than 2 million children; left millions maimed or permanently disabled, 10 million with serious psychological trauma, and resulted in over 12 million children refugees. In addition, worldwide conflicts have created 1 million orphans. The health and education of even larger numbers have been affected because conflicts have destroyed crops, schools and clinics.
Name of Country | Population | U-18s as % of Population | U-18s used in Armed Conflict |
Liberia | 2,467,000 | 50 | 15,000 |
Sierra Leone | 4,428,000 | 50 | 10,000 |
Angola | 11,569,000 | 52 | 3,000 |
Mozambique | 18,265,000 | 51 | 8,000–10,000 |
Uganda | 20,791,000 | 56 | 8,000–10,000 |
Ethiopia | 60,148,000 | 53 | N/A57 |
Source: Coalition to Stop the use of Child Soldiers, 2002 | |||
That will do it for now.
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